Desk or table top construction



July 21, 1953 F. A. SAAF DESK OR TABLE TOP ccmsmucnow Filed Dec. 6, 1949ATTORNEYS.

' INV EN TOR.

Patented July 21 1 953 i DESK OR TOPCONSTRUCTIQN:

Fritz. A... Saaf, Aurora, 111., assignor t'o All st'eel. EquipmentI'ncz, a corporation of Illinois Application: December 6, 1949, SerialNo. 131,429

4 CIaiinsL This invention'relates to a desk? or table; top havingroundedcorners and a molding, and the principal objects of the. inventionareqto provide an improved form and construction. for such tops; tofacilitate. the construction and assembly of the top; and to provide.improved means for securing a finish molding to the perimeter of thetop.

More specifically, the invention relates to a desk or table topcomprising asub-top and a filler top, both being pan shaped and;provided with side flanges that overlap when the pans are fittedtogether. The corners of. the pans are formed by a drawingoperationafter an arcuate portion of each corner has been removed. Amolding retainer not. only secures. the. pans; together, but alsoreceives a strip or pliantmolding material that obscures the joinedpans. and

' presents a finished appearance to the desk. or

Fig. l is a fragmentary, perspective view of.

one corner of a desk top constructedin accord.- .ance with thisinvention,v the. corner portion. being broken away to more clearlyillustrate the form of the several parts which. are assembled to makethe desk top with its ornamental edging;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged exploded view of the corner portions of theseveral parts which are assembled to form'the desk top;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary portions of the sheet metal stampings fromwhich the sub-top and filler-top parts, respectively; are formed; and t9 Fig; 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary,'sectional detail of the improveddesk top, the section. being taken on the line 5-5' of Fig; 1.

A desk top constructedin accordance with this invention comprises asub-top 6 and a filler-top 1' respectively formed from. sheet; metalstampings 6a and la and secured together in. opposed nested relationshipand around. the perimeter of which is secured an ornamental edging ormolding, generally designated 8.

The sheet metal stampings. 6a and la, .f-rom which the sub-top 6 andfiller-top 1 are respectively formed, havethe four corners cutaway alonginwardly extending,- angularly' disposed lines 9 and Ill, and anintermediate arcuate line H. The cuts 9 and I 0 are disposed at. rightangles to each other and extend transverse to the: edges l2 and I3 ofthe corners of therespective stampings. The arcuatecut I l, between. thecuts 9. and I0, is formed onan axis substantially coincident with theintersection of'the planes of the cuts Band [0. For the stamping 1a,,the juncture of the cuts9 and lll andzthe edges mam I3 of that stampingare rounded, as indicated at M in Fig. 4.

(Cl. 311-107 )I Inwardly of and, parallel to the respective stampingedges 12. and B are rows of spaced apertures. l5. which, in the.subsequently assembled subandfiller-topssG and. 1, comeinto'registration to receive screws l6. by which the. two

tops are secured together and the. ornamental edging or molding 8 isecured. in place. around the perimeter of thedesk top.

'I'heperimetrical'portions of eachof thestampings Ba and 1a between thearcuatecorner cuts II. are bent over to. form transverse flanges. l1 andi8 for. thesub-top B, and I9- and. 20. for the filler-top 1.. The. bendof these flanges is along lines 2|, as shown in Fig. 3, slightlyinwardfrom thebase of. the cuts-.9. and I0; Thuainthe forming' of theflanges t1. and: 1.8,, and I9 and 211, the portion: of the stamping.intermediate. the. cuts 9 and I0; concentric with the. arcuate cut. H;is likewise folded over to form an arcuatefiange 2 3 onthe sub-topa-nd.an arcuateflangeidon the filler-top,v which. flanges connect. and. arecontinuous with. the. respective. flanges I]. and I81 and l9 and 20.

The flanges I1 and is for the. siih-top GI are again. bent along lines.22. so that their perife metrical portions form. inwardly extendingflanges 2.5. and 26; respectively, disposed parallel to the body of. thesub-top 6. Also, the flanges H and I8 aresofiset slightly inward'fromthelines 21 so as toform a. ridge. or: bead. 21. coextensive with therespectivefianges I! and |.8.'

In forming the: rounded corners. for thesuband filler-tops, the-flangesH; l8, l9 and. 20 are first bent .down, and then suitable drawingfdiesform. the. arcuate. flanges 23 and. 24. This provides. a nicely rounded,bent-over corner, of simple, yet sturdy,. construction.v

order. to. appropriately reinforce, the perimetrical-portions oftheassembled'suband fillertops. 6 and. 1, Z-shapedl bars. 2 8. and 29are insertecl. betweenandbond'ed to the flanges 2'5 and 26 and the. bodyof. the. sub-top 6, substantially co-extensivewith the. respectiveflanges, I1 and [8, as most clearly shown in Fig.. 5. In addition tothereinforcing. Zl-bars. 28 and 29, other suitable reinforcing bars arearranged. between the subtop. 6. andfiller-top I, as is shown andexplained in. co-pending application, Serial. No. 697,760, filedSeptember. 18;, 1946; now U; S. Patent No. 2,560,4HOI. v

The suband filler-tops 6' and 1. are assembled, as. most clearly shownin Figs. 1 and 5, with the flanges.- I! and 18' of. thesub-top 6'.nesting, within theflianges. l9 and. 20 of. the filler-top 1 andwith theupper edges of the flanges l9- and. 20 closely adjacent to the-riberbead 21- on the sup-top 6, it not in actual; contact therewith.

. Azfter'these: top: sections. are: assembled, a: sheet of linoleum 3|],or other suitable material, islaid on the body of the sub-top 6, andglued thereto,

with its perimeter coextensive with the ridge 21 and beveled, as shownin Fig. 5. The molding 8 is then applied. It comprises a retainingmember 3| and an ornamental member 32, the former comprising a flexiblestrip of extruded metal, preferably aluminum. It is made channelshape,with the transverse parts or flanges 33 and 34 of arcuate form. Theupper longitudinaledge is enlarged and formed with an inwardly disposedinclined shoulder 35 which mates with the beveled edge of the linoleumor composition top and is flush therewith.

The arcuate form of the transverse parts 33 and 34, of the channel strip3!, provide pockets 36 and shoulders 3! which serve to hold theornamental strip 32 on the strip 3| with the outer face of theornamental strip 32 flush with and forming a continuation of the outerfacesof the arcuate-shaped transverse parts 33 and 34.

The ornamental strip 32 is made of extruded or molded pliant material,preferably in the nature of a synthetic material. As herein shown, it isof arcuate form with the exterior face grooved or otherwise renderedornamental. The opposite longitudinal edges are recessed so as toprovide tongues 38 which are adapted to extend into the pockets and abutthe shoulders 31 so as to secure the ornamental strip 32 to theretaining strip 3 I. The retaining strip 35 is secured around theperimeter of the desk top by screws 16 entering the registeringapertures 15 in the assembled suband filler-tops 8 and l. The strip,being formed of flexible material, may be bent to closely fit therounded corners of the desk top so-that, if desired, a single strip ofmaterial may extend entirely around the desk or table top.

The ornamental strip 32, being of pliant material, is secured in placeby simply inserting the tongue 38 along one edge into the correspondingpocket 35 of the retaining strip 3|, and then using a suitable tool toslightly reduce the arc of the strip 32 and allow the opposite tongue 38to be pressed into place in the opposite recess 36. To facilitate theinsertion of the strip 32, it is preferably provided with an internalchannel 39, which gives the strip greater flexibility, and accommodatesthe fastening screws 16.

1 claim:

1. A desk or table top comprising a pair of sheet metal plates each ofwhich has the four corners cut away along angularly disposed lines,extending transversely inward from the respective edges which normallymeet to form the corners of said plates, and along an arc between saidangularly disposed cuts, said plates having the perimetrical portionsthereof between said corners bent at right angles to the plane of saidplates to' form transversely disposed flanges and having theperimetrical portion of said plates intermediate said cuts also formedto provide transversely disposed arcuate flanges connecting andcontinuous with said first-mentioned flanges, said flanged plates beingsuperimposed with the flanges on one plate nesting within the flanges onthe other plate.

2. In a desk or table top, a channel strip adapted to be applied to themargins of said top, the transverse parts of the strips beingarcuateshaped and converging toward each other so as to form opposedpockets extending longitudinally of said strip along the lateral edges,a molding of pliant material arcuate in cross section recessed along itslateral edges to form a tongue and a shoulder, said molding beingsecured to said strip by having said tongues seated in said pockets andsaid shoulders abutting the edges of said transverse strip parts withthe outer face of said strip flush and concentric with the arcuate outerfaces of said transverse strip parts and means disposed between saidstrip and molding to secure said strip and molding to the desk or tabletop.

3. A desk or table-top comprising, a pair of sheet metal plates each ofwhich has the four corners cut away along angularly disposed lines,extending transversely inward from the respective edges which normallymeet to form the corners of said plates, and along an are between saidangularly disposed cuts, said plates having the perimetrical portionsthereof between said corners bent at right angles to the plane of saidplates to form transversely disposed flanges and having the perimetricalportion of said plates intermediate said cuts also formed to providetransversely disposed arcuate flanges connecting and continuous withsaid first-mentioned flanges, said flanged plates being superimposedwith the flanges on one plate nesting within the flanges on the otherplate, a flexible channel strip the opposed faces of the transverseparts of which slightly converge toward each other, means extendingthrough said strip intermediate said faces for securing said strip andflanges together, and a molding of pliant material secured to said stripby yielding engagement of its lateral edges with the converging faces ofsaid transverse parts of said strip.

4. In combination with a desk or table top, a molding comprising aflexible channel strip, the transverse parts of which converge towardeach other to form opposed pockets extending longitudinally of saidstrip along the lateral edges, means for securing the web of the channelstrip to the edge of said desk or table top, and a strip of pliantmaterial mounted in said channel strip and masking said fastening means,said pliant strip being recessed along both lateral edges to form atongue and shoulder on each lateral edge with said tongues seated insaid pockets and said shoulders abutting the edges of said transverseparts, whereby the pliant strip is resiliently locked within the channelstrip.

FRITZ A. SAAF.

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